…"If My people who bear My name, humble themselves and pray and seek My presence and turn from their wicked ways, I Myself will hear from Heaven and forgive their sins…" (2 Chron. 7:14) – "You will see that in prayer you will find more knowledge, more light, more strength, more grace and virtue than you could ever achieve by reading many books, or by great studies. Never consider as wasted the time you spend in prayer. You will discover that in prayer God communicates to you the light, strength and grace you need…" (Sr Lucia dos Santos)

Category Archives: Novenas

Because his father had died leaving debts and his family was consequently homeless, Joseph Desa was an unwelcome addition when he was born in Cupertino, Italy in 1603. As a child he was slow witted and had a habit of standing with his mouth open staring into space. He also had a terrible temper, probably born of frustration. Even his own mother thought him worthless. As a young man he joined the Capuchins but was sent away because the ecstasies he experienced made him unsuitable for work. Finally he was accepted by the Franciscans who, seeing his holiness, put him forward to train for the priesthood. Joseph found the studies difficult, and the best he could do was to learn a small portion of the material he was supposed to know, and then pray that that’s what he would be asked. Whilst with the Franciscans he began to levitate in ecstasy at the mention of any holy thing and only a command from his superior could bring him to earth. He was also investigated because of his antigravitiational activities and subsequently moved into seclusion. He then had his own room and chapel and was unable to leave them. Often those in charge even forgot to bring him food but he accepted everything with humility. St Joseph of Cupertino died a holy death aged sixty. He is patron of students doing exams, travellers (especially those undertaking journeys by air), pilots, and is invoked by children, adults and the elderly who are unloved, abandoned or neglected.

FIRST DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you were an unwanted child and were thought worthless even by your own mother. Intercede for all unwanted children that they may come to know they were born out of God’s love for them. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SECOND DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you were an angry, frustrated child. We pray for all who struggle to express themselves, and that you help us overcome sins of anger. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

THIRD DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you experienced no love in your family and were considered of little account by all who knew you. We pray for all who have experienced the same. May we learn to treat everyone as having the worth they have in God’s eyes. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

FOURTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you suffered because you found it difficult to learn. We pray for all those who struggle at school. May they take comfort from the fact that although learning wasn’t easy for you, this didn’t stop you from becoming a saint. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

FIFTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you did the best with the intelligence you did have and put the rest in God’s hands. That way you passed all your exams and became a priest. We pray for all those struggling with exams. May we also do our best in everything and trust in God to guide our lives. We pray especially for (mention your request. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SIXTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, even the thought or mention of anything holy made you levitate in ecstasy. Grant us something of the understanding and reverence for God and his saints that you had. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SEVENTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, only when your superior ordered you to, were you able to come back down to earth. May we too have a love for and obedience to the teachings of the Church. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

EIGHTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you were unjustly suspected, confined to your room and neglected by those charged with looking after you. You accepted all this with humility. We pray for all those unjustly imprisoned, and that we too may have the humility to accept injustice for the love of Christ. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

NINTH DAY:

Dear St Joseph, because you could levitate you are the patron of travellers, especially air travellers. We pray for all those travelling that they may safely reach their destinations. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.

This prayer is to be recited in cases of great affliction or when one seems to be deprived of all visible help, and also in desperate cases. It is said on nine consecutive Sundays. Holy Communion can be received in its honour when a favour is asked, and again when the favour is obtained; the minimum is to receive the Sacraments in honour of the novena to St Jude on the first and last Sunday of this novena.

Certainly, a firm trust in this Saint will be well compensated. God is at your service and He will grant the help of His grace to all those who, desperately in need and abandoned, look to St Jude Thaddaeus for relief.

PRAYER:

St Jude, glorious Apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus!

The name of the traitor caused you to be forgotten by many, but the Church honours you and invokes you universally as the Patron Saint of desperate and impossible cases. Pray for me, so miserable that I am! I implore you to make use of the special privilege that was given to you of bringing visible and immediate help to where help has practically disappeared.

Help me in this great need to receive the consolations and help of heaven in all my needs, tribulations and sufferings by obtaining for me the grace of (here make the particular intention), so that I may praise God with you and all the elect for all eternity.

I promise you, O blessed Jude, that I will always remember this great favour and never cease to honour you as my special and powerful patron. And I will do everything possible to spread this devotion to you. Amen.

St Jude, pray for us and for all those who honour you and invoke your help.

Tradition says that St Dymphna, whose Feast Day is on May 15th, was a seventh century Irish princess, daughter of a Christian mother and a pagan father. Tragically, her mother died when Dymphna was a young teenager and Dymphna’s father, the balance of his mind disturbed, tried to marry his own daughter. Dymphna sought help from a priest, Father Gerebran who, understanding that the king, her father, had the power to do whatever he wanted, advised her to flee abroad. Fr Gerebran and two others escaped with Dymphna to Gheel in modern-day Belgium. However, her father tracked her down, and when she refused to return with him killed Fr Gerebran and Dymphna, cutting off their heads with his sword. They were buried in tombs by the local people and soon there were reports of the miraculous healing at Dymphna’s tomb of the mentally ill and those suffering from epilepsy. More and more mentally ill people came to the shrine and the local people began to look after them in their homes, a tradition which continues today. St Dymphna is also patron of family harmony.

FIRST DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, one of your parents was Christian but the other was not and you lived with two different views of the world. We pray for all families which are divided by religion. Intercede for them and bring harmony; help them to live together in love and respect. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SECOND DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, you lost your mother when you were a young teenager. We pray for all children who have lost one or both parents through death, divorce or other separation. We ask you to comfort them and help them to experience God’s love for them. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

THIRD DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, your father was destroyed by grief. We pray for all those who grieve, especially those who do not know the hope of eternal life or those whose grief is affecting their sanity. Intercede for them that they can receive hope and comfort. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

FOURTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, you had to flee your homeland. We pray for all refugees and those escaping from danger, especially danger in their own families. Intercede that they may find people to help and succour them. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

FIFTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, you had to run away from home to avoid incest. We pray for all those who have been sexually abused, especially those who have been abused in their own families. We pray for the healing of their self-worth. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SIXTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, you are the patron of those with mental illness. We pray for those who suffer from mental illness and their families. We pray that they do not lose hope or sight of God. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SEVENTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, as the sick came to your shrine to be cured, people began to care for and look after them. We pray for all those who work with the mentally ill. We pray that they see in their charges the face of Christ, and always guard their dignity. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

EIGHTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, you lost your mother to death but your father to mental illness and abuse. We pray for all those who have lost their parents to mental illness and addiction, and for all whose parents have treated them badly. Intercede for them that they may be able to forgive. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

NINTH DAY:

Dear St Dymphna, we ask you to intercede for us all, that we might be cured of our delusions and misconceptions whether about ourselves or others. We pray for a healing of our family history. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Dear St Ignatius, while suffering the pain of a broken leg and waiting to recover your health, you began to think seriously about life. Then you began to discover what it is that brings true peace and joy to the human heart. You discovered that it is in the teachings of Jesus, His example of life and in the manner of living of the saints that we are able to find joy and peace. I also am looking for peace and joy in my life. Ask God to help me discover what His will is for me in order to have peace and joy in my life. Ask God to help me walk on the road of Jesus and find there the happiness my heart desires.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read John 10:10.
– Pray the Our-Father.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

FINAL PRAYER (pray every day):

Together with St Ignatius of Loyola, we ask you, Lord, that all our thoughts and actions, desires and all our being and doing be purely directed to Your greater glory and to the service of our brothers and sisters. Amen.

SECOND DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, you experienced a strong desire to imitate the example of the lives of the saints. You did penance for your sins, like the saints did. You asked for God’s forgiveness, trusting in His great mercy. Ask God to help me to do penance for my sins. Ask God to help me trust in His mercy and never fall into despair. St Ignatius, pray for us.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read Luke 18:9-14.
– Pray the Hail-Mary.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

THIRD DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, during your search for peace and joy, you obtained from God the grace to pray a lot and to live in great union with God. I also feel inside me the thirst for peace and joy that God, my Creator, placed in my heart. Ask God to teach me the art of prayer. Ask for the grace to live united with God on the road of Jesus and to be able to spend some time praying every day.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read Luke 11:9-13.
– Pray the Hail-Mary.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

FOURTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, you understood that we are created to serve God, to love Him with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves. You discovered that everything that exists in the world was created to help us fulfil these two commandments of love. Ask God that I may obtain the grace to know how to treat people and the things of this world in such a way that I may always grow in the love of God and neighbour.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read Mark 12:28-31.
– Pray the Hail-Holy-Queen.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

FIFTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, we know that you felt great joy in adoring the Most Holy Trinity. We know that you believed in God as a community of three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are always working for the good of humanity. Ask God that I may obtain the grace of understanding that God is a community of Divine Persons who work together for our salvation. Obtain from God the grace for me to live in community with my brothers and sisters. Ask that the communities of the Church may know how to work for the salvation of the world and for the liberation of all the people.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read John 5:17.
– Pray the Creed.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

SIXTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, you had a great knowledge of Jesus Christ and you were a personal friend of His. You realised that God the Father called you to be a collaborator in the work of Jesus, His Son, and in the service of the salvation of the world. Ask God to give me the grace to know well Jesus Christ and to become His companion in the work of evangelizing the persons in His life of society.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read Matthew 11:27.
– Say a spontaneous prayer to Jesus Christ.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

SEVENTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, contemplating the life of Jesus, you received the grace of understanding in practice what it means to firmly follow Christ, poor and humble, on the road to God in spite of persecution. You understood that the ambition of riches and the desire of having honours leads to pride. Ask God to help me understand this also so that I may have a poor, meek and humble heart to love God and neighbour.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read Matthew 11:29.
– Pray the Our-Father.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

EIGHTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, many times you contemplated the glory of the risen Jesus and rejoiced with His victory over death and sin. This strengthened your life of faith. Ask God to grant me the grace to rejoice with His risen and victorious Son. Increase in all Christians hope for the complete liberation that God promised His people.

– Think over this prayer. Ask for the grace you desire.
– If possible, read John 20:19-20.
– Pray the Hail-Holy-Queen.

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

Final prayer.

NINTH DAY:

Dear St Ignatius, ask God to help me pray with sincere faith this prayer you used to pray:

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, also my understanding and all my will. Everything I have and possess You have given me with love. All the gifts You have given me I gratefully return to You. Do with them, Lord, whatever You will. Give me only Your love and Your grace. This is enough for me, and nothing more will I ask. Amen.”

Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels!
Thou who art mighty in strength and do His Will, intercede for me at the throne of God. By thine unceasing watchfulness, protect me in every danger of soul and body. Obtain for me the grace of final perseverance, so that after this life, I may be admitted to thy glorious company and sing with thee the praises of God for all eternity.
All ye holy Angels and Archangels, Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and Powers and Virtues of Heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, and especially thou, my dear Guardian Angel, intercede for me and obtain for me the special favour I now ask (mention your request).
Amen.

ST JOHN OF GOD +1550; PATRON SAINT OF THOSE WITH HEART PROBLEMS, OF HOSPITALS AND OF THE DYING

FIRST DAY:
Dear St John, you are the patron of all who suffer heart disease. We pray for them that they may find help for their illness. We also pray for all who are sick of heart whether through sin or unrequited longing. May they find and follow God’s will. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SECOND DAY:
Dear St John, you ran away from home when you were young. We ask you to intercede for all runaways, that they may meet those who might help them, not those who might harm them. May we too not try to run away from the realities of life. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

THIRD DAY:
Dear St John, you were a penitent sinner. We pray to know our sins and to repent of them and to know God’s love and forgiveness. Awake in us a true love for the sacrament of penance and the courage to begin again. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

FOURTH DAY:
Dear St John, you listened to Blessed John of Avila when he told you to stop punishing yourself. May we also hear the voice of holy men and women in our lives and especially the voice of the Church, believing that is how God speaks to us. Grant us the humility to be able to obey. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

FIFTH DAY:
Dear St John, you worked tirelessly for the sick, spending your life in the service of others. We ask that you intercede for us that we may be healed of our spiritual sicknesses. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SIXTH DAY:
Dear St John, you founded hospitals and worked to support them. We pray for all who work in hospitals, especially in areas where there is no funding. May they always trust in God and see him in their patients. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SEVENTH DAY:
Dear St John, you said, “Labour without ceasing to do all the good works you can while you still have time”. Grant us the grace to convert today. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

EIGHTH DAY:
Dear St John, before you worked for the sick, you sold religious books. We ask your blessing on all who make the Word known through the written word or other media. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

NINTH DAY:
Dear St John, we pray for the dying, especially those who are dying alone. We ask you, their patron, to intercede for them before God. We pray especially for (mention your request).

“O God, how I desire that souls come to know You and to see that You have created them because of Your unfathomable love; I feel that I am going to remove the veil of heaven so that earth will not doubt Your goodness.” (Diary 483)

Saint Faustina, obtain for me the grace of penetrating more and more deeply into the mystery of God’s mercy in the work of creation, salvation and glory so that, like you, I may make it known to the world. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SECOND DAY:
– The Contemplation of Mercy in Everyday Life

“God, I look for no happiness beyond my own interior where You dwell. I rejoice that You dwell within me; here I abide with You unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with You exists; here I dwell with You in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye. The Blessed Virgin encourages me to commune with You in this way.” (Diary 454)

St Faustina, teach me to abide with the Lord in my own soul, to listen to His voice and to experience with Him all the moments of my life. Obtain for me the grace of contemplating mercy in everyday life. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

THIRD DAY:
– The Attitude of Trust toward God

“God, One in the Holy Trinity, I want to love You as no human soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable and small, I have, nevertheless, cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the abyss of Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear nothing, but hope to sing You a hymn of glory for ever.” (Diary 283)

Saint Faustina, obtain for me the grace of childlike trust so that I may always and in everything faithfully fulfil God’s will, which is mercy itself for us.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

FOURTH DAY:
– The Attitude of Mercy toward Neighbour

“My Jesus, penetrate me through and through so that I might be able to reflect You in my whole life. Divinize me so that my deeds may have supernatural value. Grant that I may have love, compassion and mercy for every soul without exception. O my Jesus, each of Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to reflect Your compassionate Heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let Your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and in the future life.” (Diary 1242)

Saint Faustina, intercede for me before the Lord so that my life, too, may be transformed into mercy exercised toward my neighbour by deed, word and prayer. May my eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, and heart be merciful. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

FIFTH DAY:
– Proclaiming the Message of Mercy

“O my God, let everything that is in me praise You, my Lord and Creator; and with every beat of my heart I want to praise Your unfathomable mercy. I want to tell souls of Your goodness and encourage them to trust in Your mercy. That is my mission, which You Yourself have entrusted to me, O Lord, in this life and in the life to come.” (Diary 1325)

Following your example, Saint Faustina, I want to proclaim to the world the message of Mercy by the witness of my life and word so that it may reach all the peoples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. May Jesus’ promise be fulfilled in my life as well: ‘Souls who spread the honour of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Saviour’. (Diary 1075) Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SIXTH DAY:
– Imploring God’s Mercy for the World

“O my God, I am conscious of my mission in the Holy Church. It is my constant endeavour to plead for mercy for the world. I unite myself closely with Jesus and stand before Him as an atoning sacrifice on behalf of the world. God will refuse me nothing when I entreat Him with the voice of His Son. My sacrifice is nothing in itself, but when I join it to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it becomes all-powerful and has the power to appease divine wrath. God loves us in His Son; the painful Passion of the Son of God constantly turns aside the wrath of God.” (Diary 482)

Together with you, Saint Faustina, I want to plead for mercy for the whole world, particularly for sinners as well as for priests and religious so that, living in the world, they may lead the people of God on the paths of salvation. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

SEVENTH DAY:
– Love for the Church – The Mystical Body of Christ

“Jesus, I am striving for sanctity, because in this way I shall be useful to the Church. I make constant efforts in practising virtue. I try faithfully to follow Jesus. And I deposit this whole series of daily virtues – silent, hidden, almost imperceptible, but made with great love – in the treasury of God’s Church for the common benefit of souls. I feel interiorly as if I were responsible for all souls. I know very well that I do not live for myself alone, but for the entire Church.” (Diary 1505)

Grateful for all the gifts of God’s mercy available to me in the Church, I want to make use of them like you, Saint Faustina, in order to become a saint and so draw other souls to the founts of God’s mercy. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

EIGHTH DAY:
– Meeting with Jesus in the Sacraments

“Jesus, there is one more secret in my life, the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You Yourself when You come to my heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lays the whole secret of my sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be but one. There are no more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine and all that is mine is Yours. Such is the omnipotence and the miracle of Your mercy. -All the good that is in me is due to Holy Communion. I owe everything to it. I feel that this holy fire has transformed me completely. O, how happy I am to be a dwelling place for You, O Lord! My heart is a temple in which You dwell continually.” (Diary 1392)

Saint Faustina, obtain for me the grace of living faith so that each sacramrent be for me a privileged place of meeting with the Lord, and may the Eucharist be at the very centre of my entire life, transforming it into love. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

NINTH DAY:
– Devotion to Our Lady

“O sweet Mother of God, I model my life on you. You are for me the bright dawn; in you I lose myself, enraptured. O Mother, Immaculate Virgin, in you the divine ray is reflected. Midst storms, it is you who teach me to love the Lord, O my shield and defence from the foe.” (Diary 1232)

Saint Faustina, most faithful daughter of the Mother of Mercy, hide me under her mantle so that she may lead me to Jesus and teach me to participate in his life and mission revealing to the world the mercy of the Heavenly Father. Like Mary, I want to give Jesus – Mercy Incarnate – to people and prepare the world for His second coming. Amen.